


RQ-2019:  Only To Be: A Different Story

by The_Lich_Queen



Series: Requests [25]
Category: Undertale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2020-05-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:26:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 7,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24291286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lich_Queen/pseuds/The_Lich_Queen
Summary: Requested by Firehedgehog
Series: Requests [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1752688
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	1. SOUL Reason

Ink floats in the Doodle Sphere, laying back on his giant paintbrush- one leg bent up while the other flopped down, both arms resting on his chest; the Artist lay just staring at the endless papers that lead to countless universes. 

The Multiverse was changing rapidly and he needed to change with it if he was ever able to keep up with the current reality. 

Ink's hands grip onto his vial sash, the only thing that allowed him to actually feel... the feeling of despair present in him. The hopelessness of his existence haunting his every move...

What was worse, the Creators all seemed to have forgotten them, their stories being lost and fading from their minds. 

It was Ink's biggest fears, to be abandoned, by the Creators more so than others... however, everyone else did not seem to be concerned about the absence of their Creators, all continuing all with their dimming lives. 

Ink sat up and held the place where his SOUL was meant to be, the emptiness echoes within no matter how he tries to calls it forth. 

Ink's mind went to his friends. The seemed to be leaving him behind too. 

The Protector felt it. 

Another universe being destroyed at the hands of the Destroyer. 

Ink did not go. 

It suddenly seemed so unfair to him, that the Destroyer had a SOUL while he, the Protector, did not. 

Why was fate so cruel to him, to make him be made this way? 

Ink knew it was the blue paints working overtime in his system, yet the more he thought about it, the more he felt bitter towards the ERROR for having a SOUL. 

Ink glances up and sadly gazes upon the hole that was left behind, a tore paper, which soon will be gone forever. 

Then the Artist thought something that he never dared think about before, '*What if I took Error's SOUL for my own?'

Ink tilts his skull, wonder if it was possible. 

Standing up tall he goes visit the one monster he knew that could find the answers for him: Sci Sans. 


	2. Start!

Ink had set up the ultimate trap for the ERROR. 

From the studies of multiple Sanses, it was calculated what kind of universes the Destroyer went for and during which periods of time. 

After observing for months they found a pattern in the ERROR's movements that had not been noticed before. And this pattern actually went side by side with Ink's own movements too. 

One, the ERROR goes to a universe and standing in it for hours; he could just talk to himself while moving his fingers in front of him like he was playing a small piano. 

It was discovered that the Destroyer did not destroy every universe he went too. Sometimes instead standing in one spot playing on his visible piano, he would go to different areas and play there. 

Two, if Ink help creates a certain number of universes in a small space of time, the ERROR would go on a destroying rampage.

Three, the ERROR did have a SOUL- which many believed that he did not. During one intent battle, Dream had managed to draw it out from his body. 

So they had a pattern and they had a way to safely get the SOUL out without damaging it. 

Dream did not like the idea of capturing Error's SOUL, however, Ink wore him down non-stop debating with him. And in the end, he managed to convince his friend that an ERROR free world was for the best. 

Blue had once upon a time, tried to save Error from himself, always trying to talk with him no matter how many times he was beaten down. Ink convinced the now hard-hearted Swap Sans, explaining that Error surely was a Lost SOUL, wanting to be free from his never-ending story. 

Ink always had a willing army. 

The hundreds, if not millions of Sanses and other characters that had somehow escaped the Destroyer's wroth and made it to Core Frisk. 

Core Frisk told everyone not to go, to leave the ERROR be... no one paid attention to them, following after Ink without hesitation. All wanted revenge on that glitching creature. 

No one even saw him as a Sans any more, no one wanted to think that this was an alternate version of the beloved Sans, more so the Sanses themselves- if their story had gone down the same route, they may have ended up just like him; it was not something they were willing to think about. 

Ink sent his army out across the multiverse, keeping 'bad' Sanses at bay while he laid the foundations of his plans. 

The ERROR, Nightmare and Virus had been the main three that had caused the most trouble and they needed a great deal of planning to up against them. 

Dream had issued leaders to each group. 

There was the Star Team, that went up against the ERROR, Blue lead this team since he knew how to battle him. 

The Sun Team, that Dream leads and their main focus were keeping Nightmare busy. And since Nightmare was always chasing after Dream, it made sense for him to take control. It was thought that Error and Nightmare were allies but there had never been any proof of this- they had just been seen talking to each other and did not kill one another. 

The Moon Team was lead by Anti-Virus, who Ink did not get along with a great deal. Their job was to keep Virus from working out what was happening. Virus Sans hated Error with a passion and would have ruined their hard work if he realized what was happening. 

"*I hope Anti-Virus and Virus just die." Ink utters out darkly, his eyelights blazing red for a moment- the pair were newcomers as far as he was aware. 

They had just appeared about ten years ago with Virus fighting for his life against the ERROR and the glitch would have ended him, if him for Anti-Virus stepping in. 

It seemed that Anti-Virus and Virus had a similar situation as Dream and Nightmare, where one was trying to 'save' the other. 

Ink gazes around at the universe. This was the first universes he had ever made without the aid of a Creator. 

Sure it was a barren lifeless landscape with a strange purple sky but alongside this, Ink went around searching for Creators to help. 

Soon he came across a couple of things that inspired some of the Creators. 

One Creator wanted to hold a contest and needed help deciding what kind. 

Ink saw his chance and rushed. 

So then here was the contest: 

Make a new completely Sans based, complete with a bio. 

The Creator in question was a writer and there would be three prizes. First place would get a 10,000 word story which they would work along with the winner. Second place, 5000 words with the same conditions. And third place 2000 words, again with the same conditions. 

The Creator was also calling out to friends to give out any prizes that they were able to offer, no matter how small it might be, so of course, this meant even more Creators coming in to help. 

Eight other Creators decided to join the contest and power came to Ink because of them dreaming up their new Sanses. 

Ink wanted more, so he went in search of other Creators. 

And found three Creators offering requests to their watchers. 

With this power, Ink made hundreds of plain Undertale copies, which was the easiest to make- they were all the same, no differences unless someone came along now and stops the flow of time for them. 

"*At last!" Ink says to the empty universe grinning boldly, he had taken no paints that could allow him to have any empathy towards the ERROR, not when the finish line was so close in view. 

It had taken five years to complete and all he needed now was to make sure all players were on the field and no unnecessary characters show up. To be sure, he had covered all his bases. 

"*Ink!" Came Dream's voice, turning he sees the golden skeleton hurrying towards him, his expression harden and grim, "Everyone is in place. We just need to gather everyone here and then wait for the ERROR to appear."

"*This is so exciting!" Ink told him suddenly, he saw the bitter look of his friend but he could not bring himself to care, "Dream! Just think! If this works! I can have my very own SOUL! I'll be able to know what true love feels like! What that bitter feeling you're feeling just now. OR the real hate I have for Virus and Anti-Virus!"

"*Or the regret of stealing someone else's SOUL." Dream finishes for him, then sigh shaking his skull, "I just want you to be happy Ink. But this... I fear this will come at a great cost to you."

"*But I will have a SOUL!" Ink explains to him slowly, then grins, "Look. I know you're trying to help or whatever. But I need this! And the Destroyer does not! I- ' _We_ ' have come too far to stop now Dream!"

Some monster began calling for them and together the two friends turn and walk towards them, both determined to finish what they had started.


	3. Hollow

Ink sat on a lonely rock knitting, his hands worked without looking, never dropping a stitch as he went through his rows. 

Above him was a black canvas which had trillions upon trillions of star and galaxy systems all around him- he never took his orbits away from them, watching them slowly drift past. 

It made his SOUL pulse in pure joy, happiness, pleasure and satisfaction. 

Hearing a sound he pauses and glances over his shoulder, there was someone there. It had to be Outer Sans, he was the only one who knew of this place. 

Ink blinks. 

Standing behind him was himself. 

A SOULless creature vacant of all emotions. 

Hollow sockets that seemed blacker than the Void, a humourless twisted smile that dripped with ink. The creature tilts its skull at him and starts making its way towards him, arms out and hands reaching for him. 


	4. Chapter 4

Ink gasps as he awakens, quickly sitting up in bed. 

Then blinks. 

His SOUL pulses wildly within his ribs and he holds his hands over his sternum. 

And blinks. 

It was just a nightmare. 

He had a lot of those the first few months adjusting to the new SOUL in his body. 

After a fierce battle with the ERROR four years ago, that lasted nine months, Dream had managed to remove the Destroyer's SOUL and get it inside a SOUL Vessel which was normal in any Undertale universe, however, these normally housed human SOULs, not monsters.

Sci Sans had been very interested in this 'project'; if humans could transfer blood over to one another, which was thought human SOULs lived, then could a SOUL of a monster become transferred over to another?

Many months had got into working on this theory and Sci felt like he owned a lot to Ink, so also took on this project. 

While each monster was different, skeleton monsters Sci knew well. 

Skeletons' SOULs were linked out to magic veins and points that ran through their bones. Ink was missing his SOUL but had all the veins and points in place- meaning he did have a SOUL once upon a time. 

Sci placed Ink into a chamber that forced him to sleep while hooking up the SOUL Vessel that contained the SOUL into another smaller, chamber next to Ink's. 

Instead of shoving the SOUL blindly into Ink's body, Sci flushed out the paints and slowly bleed the SOUL Essence into the magic veins, letting the bones grow used to this before placing the SOUL Container inside. 

Ink was surprised to learn that most of Error's SOUL Essence was outside the Container- so extra work was needed. 

Essence could be replaced over time but Containers could not, yet Sci slowly broke the SOUL Container and widen it, used a new technique to 'heal' the Container, making it bigger. 

The SOUL came out looking very odd- a small oval shape with many solid cracks running all through it, that appeared it would break at any time; Sci always told him it was just fine and stronger than most SOULs. 

Ink had thought he would feel emotions as soon as it settled within him, so had kept asking for his paints, thinking that it had gone wrong. 

Then it happened. 

One morning he had woken up in his chamber, the drugs that helped adjust still hooked up, feeling angry at Sci for not giving in to his requests. 

And then a wave of sudden confusion hit him, which was followed by a tsunami of so many other emotions it left his skull spinning. 

One emotion overshadowed all of these. 

Happiness. 

And he cried. 

Which had surprised him. 

Because by was he crying when he was 'happy'. And that made him laugh, even though he was feeling a little lost in these emotions. 

A week later. 

Guilt ate him up. 

Ink had taken another's life and he was living in his place, with his SOUL. 

Dream, Blue and many others came, telling him it was for the best, the ERROR took many lives during his time. 

It took a while but Ink finally left Sci's care and went home. 

Loneliness hit him hard. 

Because while he remembered always wanting attention, he had been fine entertaining himself. Ink wanted to be around others all the time. 

Not long after Ink moved in with Dream in the universe that he made for the Guardian of Positive, Under Starlight, in a house familiar to the original Skeleton Brothers, which grow over time because Ink kept adding more rooms. It made a mad maze. 

At first, they had tried dating... Ink did not feel the intent love he had that would come and told his datemate only three months of being together. 

So they just become roommates and best friends. 

Ink did not know if he had hurt Dream with his choice or not, however, the golden skeleton never showed it. Soon they fell into a pattern of the 'every day' and continued on with their lives- the ERROR was gone but not forgotten by those who lived in his era, the next generation would hopefully know the likes of him through their history books. 

Ink rolls over in bed when his SOUL had calmed and stares at his clock; it was just past four in the morning and still dark outside. 

Ink frowns as he remembers the dream, his memory had become a lot better over the past two years and he no longer needed to write as much down anymore. 

The Artist glances down sadly, facing his past self even in a dream was disturbing, he is aware that only a handful of monsters had ever seen his true self during that time. 

Rolling out of bed he smiles at sunlight peeking through the window, then goes to get dressed to start his day. 

As he leaves the room Ink fails to see the shadows watching him. 


	5. Paint

Ink slowly tore the toast into pieces only half listening to what his friends were saying- across from him was Dream who was chatting about a new law he wanted to pass and beside him was Blue, who was showing great interest in the new law. 

Ink places a piece of chocolate-covered toast in his jaws and ate. 

It had been a hard but interesting day at 'work'.

There had been two new universes added to the Multiverse. 

Correct Tale, which was like a strange spin-off to a universe called Brokentale, and Under Desired, a cross between Under Lust and Trapped Tale. 

Both did not need much work since the Creators seemed to already have a firm idea of where they were taking their stories. 

Ink places another piece into his jaws. 

Since getting his new SOUL he did not make copies as much, did not need to, he had his emotions already. However, there were times when he felt that a universe should not be there and often tried to move it elsewhere. Even when he moved the universe he still had that nagging feeling about it. 

All those universes he discided to move as far away from the main part of the Multiverse's clusters, almost to the edges of the Multiverse; this took move work but he needed to do it. 

Life had been somewhat peaceful.

There was still the threat of Nightmare and now the threat of Virus. 

Anti-Virus had joined Dream's ranks and in order to gain more support in his fight against Virus. Virus had been most than happy with the result of the ERROR being destroyed since it seemed that the Destroyer was the only one who could truly destroy him. 

Anti-Virus was pleased that Virus was no longer living in fear of the ERROR and was able to take his time in 'saving' him. 

Nightmare had become a little strange after Error died. His movements greatly decreased and he appeared depressed, or this was what Dream claims. 

Nightmare knew that Error was dead but no one apart from a section few knew that Ink had gained the ERROR's SOUL. There was no telling what kind of chaos would happen if this information got out. 

"*Ink? Are you listening?" Dream's voice calls out to him as he gulps down half of his tea. 

"*No." Ink admits with a grin lifting his eyelight to stare at his friend- his jaw drops at the sight. 

Dream had blood pouring down from his orbits. 

Ink quickly stands in alarm, causing the chair to scrapped against the floor and fall over, it hit on the cafe's tilted flooring with a loud bang making lots of monsters turn to look their way. 

"*Ink? What is wrong?" Dream cries out in surprise, also standing. 

Ink takes in the sight of his friend, who did not appear hurt by whatever was happening. 

"*INK?!" Blue cries out beside him, grabbing his arm and forcing him to look his way, "WHAT IS THE MATTER? WHY ARE YOU SO FRIGHTEN?"

Ink was panting heavily, his sockets widen when he notice that Blue had blood pouring down his cheeks too. Looking all around quickly, he sees that every monster and human surrounding them had blood pouring down their eyes. 

Ink reaches out and ran a hand over Blue's cheek, smearing the blood there. 

"*What is this?" Ink questions aloud, then he hears a strange dripping sound that was louder than all the chatter around them and higher than his friends' voices. 

Glancing down at his teacup he sees the tea inside was mixed with droplets of blood. Reaching up with his free hand he wipes his own cheek and brings it in front of him. 

It was covered in blood. 

"*Ink!" Dream cries out loudly, grabbing his shoulders and forcing him to turn to him, the golden skeleton stares him down, "Please Friend! Tell us what is the matter!"

All sound halted. 

Even though Dream's jaws were still moving, still talking to him, the sound ceased to be. 

Then it all stopped. 

Every creature in the cafe was suspended. 

A low sound of static was heard from somewhere. 

It slowly got louder and louder. 

Ink turns and looks in every direction, trying to find its source; he tries to pull away from Dream's grip however, it appeared too strong, like he was being held by a stone statue. 

Thundering footsteps came from somewhere next- it sounded like someone walking across a marble flooring, the noise of dripping was heard soon after. 

The static grew louder. 

Ink knew these footsteps, even if he had not heard them in years, he remembered them. 

It was when the ERROR walked normally. 

Mostly, the ERROR had walked while dragging his feet or half running but whenever he walked normally this strange noise came from him. 

Ink struggles to fight against the iron grip of his best friend, those footsteps growing louder and now seemingly, coming from right behind him. 

"* _ink_." Came a static glitching voice, making him gasp loudly. 

"*Ink!" Came a concerned voice and gasping again, Ink jerks in his seat, "Are you listening to me?"

Ink looks across the table, his best friend was sitting there staring at him with a deep frown on his browbone. Then quickly turning to his left, Blue was seated there munching on his sandwich. 

Ink glances down, his own toast was in front of him, completely intact no sight of his tearing it. His teacup was filled all the way.

But most importantly, nor had blood pouring from their eyes. No paused world. No static. No booming lapping sounding footsteps. No ERROR. 

"*Ink? Are you okay?" Dream calls to him but only sounding concerned but looking concerned now too, raising to his seat he hurries around and leans down, kneeling beside his seat. 

Ink turns to stare at his friend. 

"*You are bleeding." Dream told him with a deep frown, reaching up he ran his fingers over his cheek and bringing it back to stare at a deep red colour, "Or is this paint?"

"*Paint!" Ink quickly answers forcing a grin on his sweaty face, "Paint! Of course. It's paint!" 

Dream stares at him for a moment, then brings out a yellow handkerchief and gently wipes the 'paint' off of him. 

"*I'm going to go now!" Ink announces as he rose and quickly exited the cafe by some purple paint, leaving his confused friends behind. 


	6. Him

The ninghtmares had gone. 

They had been bothering Ink for a couple of weeks and no longer remembered what most were about. 

After speaking with Sci, he told him it might be the SOUL still settling, even after all this time. 

But once again, life was great for the Artist. 

Everything was finally falling into place. 

Ink hums loudly as he adds yet another room to their now huge house- the best thing was, it still looked like the normal Skeleton Brothers house from the outside but inside was so much bigger. And he could not stop himself from adding to his maze. 

"*This really needs to stop." Dream told him with a laugh as they hear Cross calling for help somewhere deeper in the strange corridors of doors. 

"*Come on! It's great and you know it!" Ink answers proudly, leaning back on the sofa and staring at the new drama that had started. 

"*I did not think you liked this sort of thing." Dream says as he settles down next to his friend, completely leaving Cross to his fate. 

"*I found it a few days ago. And the storyline caught my attention." Ink explains with a grin, the gestures to the new room he had just added, "This room we are in now. Is solely for me watching them." 

"*I think we have a room for everything now." Dream says with a sigh, shaking his skull and watching the drama unfolding, the calls of Cross was now in the far distance, "And you just putting small kitchens in between each one."

"*So we don't have to watch two yards to get a snack." Ink further explains with a shrug, then grins boldly, "I should add doors in some of the rooms!"

"Oh dear." Dream sighs out with a small laugh. 

Suddenly the room flew open and crashed against the wall, the two friends turn to see the bottom of a blue boot. The leg the boot was attached too was lowered to reveal the third member of the Star Sanses, Blue.

Blue had been very against the whole SOUL stealing idea, to begin with, but had become hard hearten over the years; he was now very happy for Ink having a SOUL of his own and able to emote. 

Blue grins boldly at his two friends and went over- Swap had started living with the pair as well and was still getting used to the maze-like house. 

"*I SWEAR I HEARD SOMEONE SCREAMING IN THE DISTANCE!" Blue told them as he sits down and joins them, then notices the show, "OH! THIS IS VERY POPULAR RIGHT NOW! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU LIKED THIS SORT OF THING!"

"*Yeah. It's good. And the screaming you heard was just Cross." Ink told him with a grin, Dream giggles as well. 

"*OH? CROSS GOT LOST? AGAIN?!" Blue replies with a laugh, "POOR CROSS!" but the Swap Sans did not move to go help the other either. 

The three friends turn to watch the show. 

After a moment the Artist felt sweat building at the back of his neck- on screen was himself, running from a strange glitching form. Ink turns to look at his friends, to see if they saw this too. Both Dream and Blue had smiles on their jaws, missing the blood that covered the floor of wherever that place was. 

The strange glitch grabs hold of the Ink on screen-

Ink gasps loudly as his back slams against the wall, his orbits never leaving the deformed melting figure in front of him. Red sockets glowed brightly, pouring with blood. 

"* _you killed him_." The strange bloody skeleton told him, blood covering his teeth and dripping off his chin, " _you killed him_!"

"*Who? Who did I kill?" Ink cries out in pain, grabbing the arm that held his neck tightly.

"* _him_." The melting skeleton... melts into liquid bone and blood, on the floor and all down the front of him. 

Ink drops to his knees holding out his hands as he stares at the bloody mess. 

Looking beyond the blood, he sees the strange skeleton sitting in a bed of yellow flowers smiling sadly down at them. The calming and relaxed atmosphere around him was very different than a moment ago. 

Quickly jumping to his feet he races over to him but stops short in front of the flowers. 

The skeleton turns to him and Ink blinks. 

The bloody skeleton had given him a small sorrowful smile. 

"* _i don't blame ya_." The bloody skeleton told him softly, " _i understand_."

"*No. No. You don't!" Ink told him angrily, tears filling his orbits as he tries to wipe the blood off of himself hard, "There no way you could know how I feel!!"

"* _yes. i understand_." The bloody skeleton told him once more, " _it's ok. don't listen to him. he is just upset i'm gone._ " 

"*...huh?" Ink asks becoming still, then looks at his front and it clicked, "You not the same one as before."

"* _no_." The bloody skeleton answers with a smile, " _i'm not_. _ink_. _ya much be careful. everything has already begun to unravel. ya have to take over. or else. everyone ya know and love is doom._ " 

"*I don't understand." Ink admits falling to his knees and staring at the glitching form, "You're not making sense. Explain!" 

"* _and ya have to be careful. someone close to ya is plotting ya downfall_." The strange skeleton went on as if he had not heard what Ink said; Ink blinks and he was sitting on the sofa once more staring up at the screen, that bloody skeleton sitting there staring out at him, " _if ya don't do something now. ya will lose yourself completely_." 

"*ARE YOU OK MY FRIEND?" Came Blue's voice from next to him, turning he sees the Swap Sans staring at him in concern, "YOU LOOK RATHER PALE! AND YOU'RE COMPLETELY COVERED IN SWEAT!"

Dream glances over now and frowns deeply, "*Ink?" 

Ink stands and looks to the screen, it was the ending of the show. 

"*I'm fine. I must have fallen asleep." Ink explains with an awkward laugh, "I had a nightmare." 

"*Oh dear. Those are back?" Dream says in worry, "Do you need me to help you sleep again tonight? I can give you a dreamless rest."

"*That's fine. I don't need it!" Ink answers with a grin, then patted himself down, "I do need a shower though. I'll see you both later!"


	7. Spin

  
Ink wanders through the many hallways he made trying to remember where the main entrance was- this place was designed so that Sanses could not shortcut everything, something he had thought about a few weeks ago when he had a party, the lazy skeletons were completely bypassing his works of art in favour of just using their shortcuts rather than walking. 

"*And here I thought my memory was improving." Ink mumbles to him as he continues through the hallway, staring at each door- at one point he found an archway and glancing inside he sees another long hallway. 

Ink sighs heavy, he was growing bored and he was now debating if he should call Dream over. 

Dream seemed to know the layout better than him. 

As he went by door after door, his mind drifts over the past couple of months- that bloody skeleton had appeared in his dreams many times, each time he seemed to be growing weaker until one night Ink came into that dark room to find him laying on his back in the flower garden; his orbits closed and no matter how much Ink calls he would not wake up. 

The strange thing was that the skeleton had a glass dome around him, keep Ink out. Even tried to break it a couple of times. 

After that night, Ink never dreamt of him again. 

And the bad dream came with a vengeance.

The worst one was him walking in a vast white space with nothing and no one around, no matter how much he walked he never reached an end. 

In the dream, he did not know where he was, who he was or why he was there. Ink had woken up screaming. And only after he calmed down he realized it must have been the Anti-Void. 

Dream and Blue had been lifesavers to him. They are taking turns in sleeping in the same bed as him and doing their best to wake him when his dreams start; they would sing, rock him gently and speak calming words. 

Dream had a more calming effect with his words than Blue but the Swap Sans knew how to sing to make him feel better. 

Ink was exhausted. 

And he could tell his friends were being drained too. 

Ink pauses. 

He had thought he had heard something. 

Turning he gazes down the hallway; it had a deep red carpet lined with gold which runs down the centre, either side the dark floorboards would be seen. That same dark wood went halfway up the wall in a panel designed with shapes of flowers at the bottom and leading up to a few moons shapes. Then the upper half of the walls was an off white with gold swirls. Then the ceiling had plaster casts in sequences that surrounded each light fitting that was a good distance away from the other since these lights there quite bright and let up the hallway well. 

Ink narrows his orbits, staring down the hallway- there seemed to be something... flying? tiny flies or something, in the distance. 

He starts walking down that ways, frowning deeply, wondering just what this could be. 

Then he pauses again. 

That sound. 

A hum. 

Like a machine running. 

Only every now and again that machine made an odd noise like it was having trouble working- then came a low static. It was like someone was on the radio trying to find a channel, whoever it was kept switching, only finding more static. 

A loud set of beeps filled the hallway and Ink jumps startled by this, it was so loud that he had to cover his 'ears' with his hands. 

Then it ended. 

And that low static was all that was heard. 

Ink blinks, staring down the hallway as he slowly lowers his hands- those 'flies' had become larger. Almost looked like... glitches. 

A feeling of dread washing over him, he slowly backs up, his eyelights never leaving those 'glitches'- the static had gotten louder now. 

Then, the light the furthermost down the hallway flickers and turns off. 

Ink merely stares. 

From that darkness, someone steps out, though their form was still hard to make out- one thing was clear, they had glitches all around them. 

Then next light flickered and died out. 

The static had grown louder and the monster hiding in the shadows stepped half into the light once more- were they smiling?

Ink did not know what to think but he needed to leave. 

Turning he walks down the hallway, pausing slightly to gaze behind him. 

The light went out again, then the next, and then the next. Each time that figure could just be seen in the darkness, getting closer and closer to him. 

Ink ran. 

He did not even bother looking back now, he could hear the static and see the light source change, he knew it was getting faster- he had to stop, there was a door in front of him. 

Panting hard and falling upon the door he reaches for the handle that was not there.

Spinning around. 

There was slowly three lights went- the creature was still afar off but was hovering in the darkness, staring. 

Then it stepped forward, the glitches got worst and strange jerks and twitches from its head, arms and hands were made. 

Ink turns around and slams against the door, he calls out to Dream, Blue and even Cross who had for some reason started living with them; he was shocked to discover his voice refused to come out. 

"*the darkness is growing. running will no longer be an option soon." 

Came an old familiar voice, one he thought he would never hear again.

Slowly he faces the creature once more, leaning heavily on the door; he was completely overcome with fear, it made him rattle loudly and caused tears to fall down his cheeks.


	8. Dream

  
Dream kept telling him not to worry and that everything would be fine. 

Ink felt like there were more rooms appearing in the place and for once he had not been adding to them. 

Blue actually left for the weekend, asking Ink to remove some and find poor Cross who had been lost for days. They kept leaving food and drink around the place for him to eat. 

"*You must sleep Ink." Dream told him with a sigh, leading him by the hands to his bedroom, "It is not healthy for your SOUL."

Ink touches his sternum and sighs. 

Weird stuff had been happening, whispers in the dark, lights flickering on and off when he passes by and the low sound of static that sometimes followed him. 

It was becoming worst. 


	9. Run

Ink blinks and rose up from the cold ground, he looks around and sees he was outside...

The last thing he could remember was Cross calling for him and Dream staring down at him with an emotionless expression. 

Ink stares at his house. Or what looked like his home, it looked like someone had come along and dumped lots of houses the same on top and it was ready to fall over- he gazes all around him.

The houses were everywhere, looking like they were all attached to one another. 

"*What is happening?" Ink breathes out as he starts making his way up a path... he did not remember there being slope outside his home. 

Ink stares at the house, all the main lights seemed to be off and dimly lit lamps shone up some places- a light blinked on the right-hand side and then a shadow looked appears for a moment, it went off. 

"*...So Dream is home." Ink said with an uneasy smile, fear rose up forbidden within him but he pushed it down and hurried to the main entrance. 

Suddenly it was not his house but the grand entrance of Dream's castle. Ink could hear the wind blowing behind him, felt the icy chill that made his bones rattle. 

Ink hurries further and pushes at the heavy wooden doors- they refused to open, so pulling away he moves back and looks around. There as a couple of ways inside, a few side doors, however, the darkness and thick foliage that surrounds the castle made it hard to see. 

Ink moves to the left and walks down the steps... had he even could up steps?

Shaking his skull, he continues on and runs alongside the large building, keeping close to the walls. 

It walked like someone was running with him, matching his every step. 

Ink quickly his pace and came to the side, it had iron bars blocking the path to the door with a padlock keeping them shut.

Glancing behind him, he sees nothing. So he races back the way he came, searching for a place to go to get inside, get away from the icy winds and the footsteps. 

Ink ran flat up, moving past cars and trucks that were parked in the driveway in front of the castle, knocking into a few and setting on their alarming that broke the silence of the night- however, they all sounded like loud static. 

Finally, he found the other side entrance and like the other side, it was barred off. Yet there was a hole, bending down, he got to his hands and knees and crawls through. 

"*no. not that way!" A voice shouts at him which makes him faster. 

Following the walls he sees the metal door up some stairs and raced over to them, he took the steps two at a time when reaching them and fell against the door, grabbing the handle... it would not open. 

Turning around he looks outside the iron from his place but the steps. The outside world beyond those bars was now a thick grey fog. The way they moved with the wind against the limited light, made it look like there were hundreds of monsters trying to get in. 

Ink walks away from the door and slowly walks down the steps- he turns and sees light further down the building and starts making his way towards there, hoping to find Dream, Blue or Cross. 

As he went along, he jumps at the sound of thunder in the distance. 

There were more trucks in this area too, all looking like builders vans. Tools and materials were left everywhere. Noticing the scaffolding he lifting his skull up to see this was where the lights he had seen had come from- there were ladders leading up to the first floor. 

As he went over and climbed, someone gently touches his cheeks- Ink spun around and searched all over, still, there was no one there. 

"*Dream. This has to be a dream. I'm dreaming." Ink told him firmly as he pants heavily, he rattles lightly, "Haha. Of course! This is a dream!" 

Turning around with more confidence, he climbs the ladders and walks onto the wooden planks of the scaffolding. Gazing down he sees nothing and grins boldly. 

Then he starts moving towards the walls of the building, staring at the windows. 

Seeing none here were going he walks along and around the side of the build, listening to his bare feet clink against the planks. 

Then the world went up!

Ink catches himself just in time. 

The world had not gone up, he had gone down. There was a large gap in the planks and since he had been staring at the windows, completely missed it. 

With a sigh, the skeleton pulls himself up and once there, leaps across the gap and snorts loudly at his mistake. His SOUL was still pulsing wildly within him...on other end was a dead end. 

The world went black. 

"*ink! run ya moron!"


	10. Fell

With a gasp he leans against the wall, it had felt like he had been underwater for a few moments.

Suddenly he looks up and sees the platform above him... he could climb the poles. Grabbing onto the poles closer to the wall, he pushes up and grabs onto the pole above and then places his foot on the wall, pushing himself up further. 

Once up, Ink grins at how high he was. 

The grey world beyond the iron bars looked like they were moving faster now and he felt the wind blowing, the rumble of thunder. Felt the few drops of rain. 

Ink hurries along, but this level had more missing planks than the lower one. He had to walk along with his arms out-

Someone pushed him. 

Ink fell.

Thankfully forward and not sideways over the edge, he lands on his sternum upon the planks. 

raising up he runs the rest of the one, to the next platform that had solid planks below, there he turns and looks. 

The fog had risen up there, although much lighter. In this, he thought he had seen a form of a monster. A loud screech made him cover his ears and he runs and pauses when he sees an open window- was the fog following him?

Ink needed to jump up on the ledge, so he bent down and leaped up- inside it looked like a Asgore had come along and thrown every piece of furniture around, even the lights were crooked.

They flickered as he climbs up and blacked out completely when he steps inside. 

A loud cracking sounded and suddenly Ink was falling once more, right through the ceiling. 

Looking up the lights flicker. 

And Error was staring down at him with an insane grin on his jaws. 


	11. At Last

  
Ink watches as his hands slowly melt away, he turns and sees his friend Dream standing there watching him.

"*Dream! Help me!" Ink cries out and falls to the stone ground covered in vines, "Please!"

Dream walks over to him lifts his foot and slams it down into Ink's face, causing it to break more.

"*just hurry up and fade." Dream told him dully like he was bored at this, he removes his foot and stares at him, "fade into nothingness and die."

Ink felt tears full his sockets at this betrayal. 

"*...why?" Ink questions softly, staring at his one true friend and perhaps, more, yes, he had wanted more from Dream, angry tears pour down now and he grits his teeth hard, staring at him from where he laid, "why?!"

"*because i hate you." Dream answers simply with a long sigh, "and i have already put up with you enough."

"*Ink!" Came a voice, turning when he laid Ink sees Cross charging at them, "I'm coming! I finally found you! Hold on! I'm coming to sav-" 

"*and look. you have lost." Dream told him with a smirk that was more setting to Nightmare than him, with a hand of his hand a black hole appears under Cross and he vanishes from sight, "what a pain."

Ink was struggling to get up. 

"*oh no. do not do that." Dream says with a sigh, he brings out his pole and slams it over his skull, "perhaps i have grown too impatient. but i tired of this."

Dream kneels down next to him and grabbing his scarf, pulls it up so that Ink's broken face was looking at him.

"*listen. no one wants you." Dream told him without pity, "no one wants to you. no one has ever wanted you. you are a thorn in everyone you meet' side."

Dream spoke these words and similar once over and over, the already exhausted mind of Ink's started to break down even more. 

And it was enough- the dream master reached into his mind and grabbed hold of it, grinning boldly as he started to erase the Artist's mind. 

"*at last." Dream says in glee, then reaches for the sleeper deep within, "at long last."


	12. Together

Error blinks. 

There was no static filling his 'ears', no blur obstructing his vision, no glitches causing him pain. His mind felt free from lags and he felt surprising... normal. 

Error sat up and stares around at the colourful room. 

Error could not remember how he got there... or even where here was... he looks around, searching for anything that-

Laying on the bed beside him was Dream- his sockets were closed but he could see the glow of power behind them. 

"*what happened?" Error questions, he turns and notices something laying on the floor next to the bed he on in. 

It was Cross. 

Dream sat up without warning, making Error jump.

Dream stares at Error and smiles, he leans over and tries to hug him. Error quickly pulls away.

"*what are ya doing?" Error cries out pulling away from the golden skeleton.

Dream laughs softly, a low evil laugh.

"*my love. you wound me." Dream told him with a smirk..., suddenly he had not look like Dream anymore, but Nightmare. 

"*'mare?" Error questions and watched as 'Dream' looked delighted, he leans over and lays against him, "what happened?"

"*ink killed you. stole your soul and gave it to himself." Nightmare in Dream's bones explains, he wraps his arms around him and hugs him... without any pain, "however. you still slept within. so i haunted his dreams. and plagued his waking hours with nightmares. his heart and mind began weight down. and i destroyed him."

"*ink took my soul?" Error says and as he returns the hug, he notices his grey arms with black markings, "'mare."

"*like i said. stole your soul and gave it to himself." Nightmare growls out, "i was very disappointed with my brother for helping. so i ate him."

Error felt a shiver run down his SOUL; Nightmare had always claimed he needed to eat Dream's SOUL but was doing everything in his power to find a way for both of them to live without killing the other. 

"*and i took over my brother's body. then used my newfound powers to find you deep inside your soul." Nightmare continues on with a strange purr, rubbing his cheek against his collarbone, "and here you are."

"*...ya should have left me to sleep 'mare." Error told him with a frown deep, he glares at his new hands, "a new destroyer would have come along. but it's harder to find another ink."

Nightmare sat up and points at Error, "*are you not the new ink. with errors powers. both one and the same now."

Error sockets widen at the mention of this.

Suddenly he remembers the dreams he had been having, he had been chasing after Ink trying to save him from Nightmare. Now he was wondering why he had even tried. 

"*and did you not say that ink chooses which voice lets their universe in. and copies." Nightmare went on with a grin, "you can choose not to let them in. and even halt the new copies from ever entering."

Error blinks and a slow smile crosses his jaws. 

Nightmare leans over and kisses his mate, happy to have not back, even if it was in Ink's bones. 

"*together again." Nightmare told his mate lovingly, "and this time we wear the bones of the much-loved skeletons. we can rule this multiverse from the shadows." 

Error snorts loudly and kisses his mate again, he was so happy that he vomited up ink... gross... that would take some getting used to, thankfully, Nightmare did not seem to care. 


End file.
